The Culture Club

The CULTURE Club

This morning two leaders that have influenced and inspired me tremendously, Dr. Tony Sinanis and Joe Sanfelippo moderated a #HackingLeadership chat on Twitter focused on School Culture. I missed participating in the chat live, as I slept in getting some much needed rest after a busy week. Reading the great questions and responses, I tweeted out some thoughts and felt I should expand upon them on my blog.

First, if you don't own Tony and Joe's "Hacking Leadership" book I highly recommend it. Both Tony and Joe are MUST follows on Twitter. Two amazing leaders and people. Second, I would go out and get both culture books that Todd Whitaker and Steve Gruenert have written. I am the type that likes books that have practical application ideas that I can utilize to support my school. Gruenert and Whitaker's School Culture Typography assessment from "School Culture Rewired" is something I recommend every school complete. You have to know what type of culture you have in order to collectively build the culture that you desire. Alright, enough rambling on. I could write an entire blog about the impact those leaders and their work have made on me.

Culture eats vision from lunch. You can know where you going, but that isn't going to get you there. You see, culture is much more important than a vision or mission statement. The behavior of today determines where you go tomorrow. Culture is much more than what we say or a plaque on a wall. Culture is how we live, it's what do. And people do what people see. Not what they hear, not what they listen to. People do what people see. Culture when it's right guarantees that people are going to see the right actions, the right behaviors. People will know what to do because they have been shown what to do. Culture is example. Culture has to be fleshed out. Culture is tangible. There is nothing subjective about culture. Vision of course needs to go from me to we. Culture is all about WE. There is no such thing as a one person culture within a school. If you have a collaborative culture, it's because the team has IT. Remember, we teach what we know but we reproduce who we are.

Culture is money in or money out. There is no neutral on the culture exchange. Every interaction is either a deposit or withdrawal. Make every interaction count and build the type of culture where students and adults are running to get into the school rather than watching the clock tick away and running out of the door.

Within our schools and school districts culture trumps EVERYTHING! One of the biggest gaps that exists sometimes in schools and districts is the gap between what we know and what we do. What we say we are going to do and actually doing it. Successful schools are truly collaborative. Everyone works together to help each other along. Successful schools are focused on the good of the team and share in successes and learn from failures. The sharing of common values and willingness to work together to build people up are hallmarks of successful school cultures. It's about about WE and never about ME. Leadership is 80% what you do and 20% what you say. Great leadership creates opportunities for your people. Truly great leaders know it's never about them, it's always about adding value to the lives of those you serve. As you think about the work week ahead, think about how you are going to add value to lives over the next 5 days of school. What are the intentional actions that you are going to take to set the stage for those you serve to be successful?

In poor school cultures you see people competing for one another. You see people jocking for positions or claiming their turf so to speak.  Here is what I know to be true. If you have to tell people you are the leader, your not. Often in schools where the culture stinks, the leader is not very strong. Often in schools with poor cultures the leader laid a poor foundation and their behavior and example is followed wrongfully by other adults. There is a great saying, "the standard you walk past is the standard that you are willing to accept". Remember, as the leader you are setting that standard by your behavior and actions. As Jimmy Casas says "Be The Change". The right change!

Be the leader that knows the show, shows the way, and goes the way. Don't wait, LEAD.

CJ